Snowmobiles commonly have a seat which ends, near the rear of the vehicle, with a substantially vertical end wall portion which can include the rear tail light. It is also known to provide a carry rack, defined on the rear portion of the tunnel behind this rear vertical wall portion of the seat, so that objects such as a small fuel tank or storage bag can be transported. Conventional seats also commonly include an internal compartment, integrated within the foam of the rear portion of the seat, which are adapted for storing small objects such as tools, first aid kits, etc.
When a small additional fuel tank, commonly called a Jerry can, is to be transported it is therefore situated in the rack disposed on the tunnel behind the flat rear end wall of the seat. The weight of such a full fuel container, which can be considerable, is accordingly carried on the very rear end of the tunnel, well behind the center of gravity of the snowmobile. This is disadvantageous as it can remove weight from the front skis, which can negatively affect the steering of the vehicle.
Additionally, fuel containers or storage bags which are transported on the rear of snowmobiles must be strapped down tight to the rear of the tunnel in order to ensure that they are securely retained in place, regardless of whether a rack is provided thereon or not. Such racks generally include small perimeter lips or rails which help locate the fuel container or storage bag on the tunnel, however these features are not sufficient to help retain the object in place. Accordingly, the user must properly fasten the object to the rear portion of the tunnel using straps, bungees or other similar securing means. Storage bags can be relatively awkward to securely fasten using straps due to their sometimes irregular shapes. Further, as full fuel containers are relatively heavy, they tend to work their way loose due to movement of the vehicle if not correctly fastened down. Therefore, careless fastening of the object secured to an open rack disposed on the rear of the tunnel behind the seat can result in unwanted displacement of the object, or even in complete loss thereof, during use of the snowmobile.